In the traditional Books of Common Prayer, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after December 13 (the commemoration of St. Lucy) are Ember Days (see 1928 BCP, p. li). These seasonal days of prayer seem to have originated at Rome by at least the third century. In the early Middle Ages, the days also became associated with ordinations.
In the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, two Ember Day prayers for those to be ordained were included among the general prayers. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer added a general prayer for the increase of the ministry and a proper collect and lessons for Ember Days (p. 260). The Collect for the Day focuses on the increase of candidates for ministry rather than on actual ordinations. There are also readings for Morning and Evening Prayer in the daily lectionary for the third week of Advent.
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